Life behind bars won’t be a walk in the park for Riverdale’s Archie Andrews. During the season 3 premiere, Archie accepted a plea deal that landed him in a juvenile detention center, which meant that there was nothing his friends could do to help, and he’s not so sure of what he’s getting himself into.

“The vibe is not a good one. He is fresh meat in this place, quite literally,” KJ Apa tells Us Weekly exclusively about Archie’s new surroundings. “He’s in survival mode. He’s doing everything he can in there to protect himself.”

However, the football star does have one advantage inside. “He has people in there that he knows that he can work with,” the 21-year-old says, before adding, “but it’s definitely going to be rough.”

Lili Reinhart as Betty Cooper on ‘Riverdale.’Courtesy of The CW

The scenes inside the prison will continue the noir tone used in the series, creator Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa adds. “We want to do our spin on that. It’s pretty violent, it’s pretty intense,” he notes. “It’s been fun seeing Archie trying to maintain his Archieness even in that setting.”

“I think the kids are at a loss for words because it’s devastating to have your childhood best friend taken away from you and to imagine your life without that person. I think honestly Veronica is the one that takes that under her wing,” Reinhart tells Us. “She has a plan, she knows what to do, who she needs to talk to. You very much see her trying to get him out of there. Jughead and Betty, while they’re incredibly worried for Archie, they kind of feel a little bit more powerless and they start to tackle a different investigation, one that’s affecting the entire town.”